Why It Matters
A cluster of aviation incidents in the past two weeks has created an urgent policy moment. The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation is convening a hearing on Tuesday, June 23 to examine a cascade of near-misses and crashes that have exposed gaps in how the National Airspace System operates. The timing reflects congressional concern that existing safety coordination between the FAA, military, and commercial operators may be inadequate to prevent future disasters.
Within nine days, a skydiving aircraft crashed near Butler, Missouri, killing all 12 people aboard; a B-52 Stratofortress went down near Edwards Air Force Base, killing eight crew members; and a Marine Corps F/A-18D crashed southeast of Seattle. Most recently, a runway incursion at Boston Logan International Airport forced a Delta Air Lines flight carrying 135 people to execute an emergency go-around after air traffic control cleared an American Airlines aircraft into its landing path. The incidents underscore a system under strain.
Incidents Driving the Hearing
The Skydive Kansas City crash on June 14 killed all 12 people on board, the pilot and 11 skydivers. Two days later, a U.S. Air Force Boeing B-52 Stratofortress crashed near Edwards Air Force Base, killing all eight crew members. It marked the first fatal B-52 crash since 2016.
The Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet crash occurred on June 13, approximately 55 miles southeast of Seattle during a routine low-level training mission. The pilot ejected safely, but a wildfire was subsequently reported at the crash site. On June 20, the Delta Air Lines flight was forced to execute an emergency go-around at Boston Logan after air traffic control cleared an American Airlines Boeing 737 into its landing path on intersecting runways.
Earlier in the month, a Cirrus SR-20 crashed into a house in Wheelersburg, Ohio after departing from Greater Portsmouth Regional Airport, and a Lancair Legacy 2000 went through a fence after landing at Whiteman Airport in Los Angeles.
What Congress Wants to Address
The hearing will focus on recent near-miss and runway incursion incidents and efforts to strengthen aviation safety. Witnesses are expected to discuss implementation of safety technologies, runway safety programs, and Federal Aviation Administration modernization efforts, as well as opportunities for improved safety coordination between aviation stakeholders and the federal government.
The House has already moved on related fronts. In April, the House passed legislation ordering requirements for certain aircraft to be equipped with collision mitigation technology, alongside measures to improve helicopter route safety and separation around airports, update air traffic control processes and procedures, and address National Airspace System safety in Department of Defense activities.
The FAA has made staffing adjustments as well. In May, the agency released a new staffing target of 12,563 certified air traffic controllers—a reduction of approximately 2,000 from its previous goal of 14,633.
Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) chairs the subcommittee, with Senator Tammy Duckworth as ranking member.
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